List of devices

An air conditioner is a device that changes the temperature of air that goes through it. Most airconditioners are for cooling air down. They work either by evaporating water inside them to make the air cool the same way that sweating cools you off, or they work by transferring heat from inside to outside by a heat pump. Some airconditioners are called reverse cycle because they can be used to heat your house too.

An amplifier is a device that increases the amplitude of a signal. For most people, this means it takes sound and makes it louder. Modern amplifiers also take incoming electrical signals and turn them into sound. When you plug headphones into your iPod, the amplifier in the headphones converts the signal from the iPod into sounds.

An ATM is an Automatic Teller Machine. You put your keycard or credit card into it to deposit or withdraw money.

A barbecue, barbeque, BBQ, Bar-B-Q or Bar-B-Que is a way of cooking food using heat and smoke from a fire. Barbeques are usually used to cook meat.

Binoculars, also called field glasses, are a special kind of glasses that function like two small telescopes, one for each eye. They let you see things in the distance as if they are much closer. Binoculars are smaller and easier to use than a telescope, and are more pleasant to use as you do not need to close one eye to look through binoculars.

A bung is a stopper or lid for casks, barrels or flasks.

A camera is a device that is used to take photos, like the ones you see on every page in this dictionary.

A chock is a piece of wood or metal used to hold something steady. Chocks are most often used against wheels to stop a vehicle from rolling away.

A clasp is a small device used to hold things together. Clasps are usually made from metal, and are most often found on jewelry.
Holding your hands or someone else's hand in yours in a tight grip is also called clasping.

A clothes hanger, or coathanger, is a triangular object with a hook at the top that you use for hanging your clothes up inside a wardrobe. Coathangers can be made from wire, wood or plastic.